Paris Grey Coffee Table Makeover with Dark Wax

I am a fan of coffee tables that are perfectly square. I’m an even bigger fan of coffee tables that have a lot of detail. Detail in a piece of furniture is where you will find its character and distinction.

One morning my husband and 7 year old daughter went on a walk around the neighborhood. They had only been gone about 10 minutes when the front door swung open and my daughter was out of breath! As she caught her breath the words “Mom, there is the most awesome table on the side of the road! We have to go get before someone else does!” Part of me was like “what have I done to my children?” and the other part was like “Whoo Hoo!! I’m training my kids well!” Sure enough when I first saw this brown table on the side of the road I knew it had a lot of potential. And my that my daughter has a good eye!

Can you believe someone didn’t want this gem? The lines! The grooves! The bones! This piece was so unique! That’s why I knew the finish for the table would be with a dark wax.

I used Annie Sloan’s Paris Gray on the coffee table because I wanted it to be light enough for the dark wax to be visible. And let’s be honest, right now gray is the new black. Everyone needs a little gray in their decor.

I was going for the aged look for this piece. To me, it’s the imperfections that make it a one of a kind statement piece! After you paint and distress the table, let it dry overnight before waxing it. Then apply a thin layer of clear wax following the directions. I use my Annie Sloan wax brush but you can use a soft lint free rag. After a few hours of the clear wax drying, apply a thin layer of dark wax. This is where your creativity can come out. I tend to apply the dark wax to the grooves and detail, but if you want to apply to the top of a dresser or the smooth side of a cupboard door than DO IT!

The great thing about this wax is that you can ERASE it if you don’t love it. Just make sure you have applied the clear wax first because it acts as a buffer between the paint and dark wax. So cool, right? I can’t tell you the amount of times I have gone over my dark wax with my clear wax to erase the look I wasn’t loving. After a day or so of curing you will be amazed at how the dark wax just pulls out the detail and beauty of a piece.